Department of Anesthesiology, University Foundation of Health Sciences
Bogota, Colombia

Lidia Moro

Anaesthesiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Hospital
Barcelona, Spain

Introduction

Over the years, opioids have been widely administered for acute and chronic pain control. Their proved efficacy and their ability to early prevent the onset of some mechanisms associated with chronic pain are some of the pharmacological properties that make them a suitable choice for surgical and non-surgical pain management. However, long-term use of these medications has been associated with important dependency and subsequent abuse.

In the United States, unauthorized distribution and over prescription are probably the main factors that have contributed to an unseen level of opioid misuse within the last 2 decades. Since 1999, opioid-related deaths have quadrupled. Not it vain, seeking of a feasible short and long-term solution to this opioid crisis has become a nationwide priority considering the high ancillary costs to the health care system and society.

For this upcoming issue, we aim to offer a comprehensive overview of the different variables involved in opioids use and misuse including:

Description of current guidelines for perioperative pain managementCorrelation of opioid administration with important clinical entities (i.e. postoperative delirium and opioid-induced hyperalgesia)Transitional care of patients under opioid treatmentOpioid leftovers